American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

After quickly escaping from the abandoned factory, Lynn and Mark drove the stolen SUV deep into the desert. Outside the window, the vast desert landscape gradually unfolded, yellow sand swirling, and the rolling dunes appearing like undulating waves in the distance. A suffocating atmosphere permeated the air, as if the entire world had been swallowed up by this desolation.

“They’ll soon find out we’re gone.” Mark stared intently at the rearview mirror, sweat beading on his forehead. “Our whereabouts will be tracked down sooner or later.”

Lynn's lips curled into a slight smile, but his gaze remained serious. "We need to find a hiding place, at least to escape their pursuit for now. The desert doesn't offer much cover, but it can at least confuse our pursuers."

As the wheels continued to roll across the dry sand, Lynn turned the car around and headed towards the small town on the edge of the desert. It was a sparsely populated place, almost no outsiders dared to come. Only a few scattered residents and local merchants lived here, leading extremely difficult lives.

The off-road vehicle wound its way along a narrow dirt road, flanked by barren sand dunes swept by the wind. Occasionally, a few withered trees swayed in the wind, as if these creatures were struggling against the desolation of the desert. Gradually, the horizon ahead began to blur, and finally, the outline of a small town came into view.

"We've arrived," Lynn said in a low voice. "We'll hide for a while and rest after we enter the town."

The town sits on a corner of the desert, its gray buildings scattered haphazardly, long since eroded by wind and sand, their exteriors crumbling and dilapidated. Dust swirls along the streets, giving the place a desolate and ancient appearance. Beside the town's only shop, several elderly people in tattered clothes sit, leaning against the wall, lost in thought. A few dogs roam the streets, their low barks echoing through the empty space.

Lynn parked the car in an inconspicuous corner. After turning off the engine, the two didn't rush out but instead observed their surroundings. Mark looked out the car window, his brow furrowed. "This place doesn't seem very populated, and security is lax. Perhaps we can stay here for now and wait for our pursuers to lower their guard."

Lynn nodded, opened the car door, and got out, Mark following closely behind. The streets were deserted, save for the low murmurs of conversation emanating from an abandoned bar in the distance. The two walked briskly towards the town center, their hearts still pounding. They knew that while things seemed peaceful for the moment, trouble would follow once they were exposed.

“We need to find a place to hide,” Lynn said in a low voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings for a suitable hiding place. “Ideally, it should conceal our movements and allow us to gather some intelligence.”

Mark looked around, then his eyes lit up as he pointed to a small inn at the end of the street. "That doesn't look like a normal inn. Maybe we can hide there for a while."

Lynn glanced in that direction, nodded slightly, and the two walked in without hesitation. Upon entering the inn, they found that although the small building looked dilapidated on the outside, the interior was surprisingly clean and simple. The owner at the front desk was a middle-aged man with a weathered face, who eyed them warily.

"How many nights are you staying?" the owner asked in a deep voice, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Lynn smiled slightly, his attitude relaxed. "We're just passing through and want to find a place to rest for the night."

The boss glanced at them, seemingly uninterested in their answer, and turned to retrieve two keys. "Okay, second floor, first room on the left. Go up yourselves." His voice was a little hoarse, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Lynn and Mark exchanged a glance, feeling slightly relieved. They took the keys and quietly went upstairs. The room was simple and old, with almost no decorations, just a simple bed, table, and chairs. Outside the window was a desert landscape, almost devoid of greenery, only lonely sand dunes.

“Wait here for a while,” Lynn said in a low voice as he walked to the window. “We don’t need to rush into action for now; let’s give the pursuers some time.”

Mark nodded, walked to the other side of the room, and placed his backpack on the table. "We need to find Charlie's whereabouts as soon as possible; we can't stay here any longer."

Lynn pondered for a moment, then picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number. "I'll contact headquarters to see if we can find more information about Charlie." He pressed the dial button on the phone, and a crisp answering sound came from the other end.

"Lynn?" A deep voice came from the other end of the phone. "How is it?"

“The situation is complicated. The pursuers have begun searching for us. We’re temporarily hiding in a small town in the desert, but I’m afraid we won’t be here for long,” Lynn reported succinctly. “We’re looking for clues about Charlie and trying to avoid being exposed.”

“Be careful.” The other person’s voice carried a hint of anxiety. “According to our information, Charlie may be nearby, or even in this town. We will continue to track his movements, but you must be even more cautious.”

Lynn frowned deeply. "Has Charlie already started conducting experiments through this town?"

“We’re not sure, but there are clues suggesting he may be using this desert area as an experimental site.” The other person’s voice was low. “Move quickly and locate his laboratory. We will provide support.”

“Understood.” Lynn hung up the phone, his eyes calm. “We need to hurry. Charlie is likely nearby, and if he is conducting experiments in this area, we must stop him.”

Mark walked to the window and looked at the sand dunes in the distance. "Then we'll have to be careful. We can't just rush in, but we can try to get some information from the people in town."

Lynn nodded. "Yes. We need to find credible clues to locate Charlie's real hiding place."

After discussing for a moment, the two decided to split up. Lynn left the room to inquire about Charlie, while Mark chose to stay in the room to guard their luggage and communication devices, ready to react immediately to any movement.

The streets remained silent. Lynn walked along the cobblestone path, his eyes constantly alert. The townspeople seemed calm, but Lynn knew that beneath the surface of this small town lay untold secrets.

He entered a small pub, which was almost empty except for a few local drunks talking in hushed tones. Lynn approached a corner of the pub, ordered a glass of water, and sat down, quietly listening to their conversation.

"Have you heard? Some unknown outsiders have come to town recently," a drunkard said in a low voice. "I heard they built some kind of experimental base in the north of the desert. Some people even say that it's not just for drug experiments, but also for doing something even more terrifying."

Lynn narrowed his eyes, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. "What is it?"

"What's going on? Who knows?" The drunkard waved his hand. "Anyway, I heard those guys are very mysterious. They always carry heavy weapons, and even the town's police don't dare to mess with them."

Lynn frowned slightly; these people clearly knew some of the clues he wanted to know. "Can you tell me where that experimental base is?" he asked in a low voice. The drunkard glanced at him, seemingly hesitant, but ultimately shook his head. "I can't say for sure. People outside say it's a military base; we here only know it's a dangerous place. If you go, be careful."

Lynn smiled slightly, stood up, and prepared to leave the bar. He didn't press further, deciding to keep this lead and look for more evidence. Although he couldn't understand the drunkard's words, he knew that the experimental base wasn't far from the town.

"Time is of the essence, we can't wait," Lynn thought silently, then turned and walked towards the desert outside.

Lynn and Mark had been hiding in the small desert town for several hours. Although they hadn't encountered any pursuers yet, they remained vigilant. Life in the town was eerily quiet, a palpable silence hanging in the air. Lynn's thoughts were far from calm; he kept replaying Charlie and the potentially terrible consequences of the "X-12" serum in his mind. Right now, their biggest task was to escape the desert and find more reliable support.

"Have you managed to get through to headquarters?" Mark asked, sitting at the simple table with a grave expression.

Lynn nodded, his tense brow relaxing slightly. "Yes, the FBI's overseas branch has confirmed our location. A helicopter is expected to pick us up. We should be able to leave this desert in about an hour."

"An hour?" Mark was clearly dissatisfied. "Do we have to wait here for that long?"

Lynn didn't answer immediately. He knew that waiting itself was a test, especially under these circumstances. Every second that passed could shorten their escape time.

“I know you’re anxious,” Lynn said in a low voice, “but this is our only chance. We have to be careful not to leave any evidence.”

Mark sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I understand. But every second we spend is just delaying the time it takes to uncover Charlie's true colors."

“Don’t forget, we’re getting closer and closer to the truth.” Lynn stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the scenery. The vastness of the desert made the view even more expansive, but at the same time, it made everything seem even more desolate. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath, and the challenges ahead became clearer in his heart.

Mark stood up, walked to his side, and looked out the window at the sand dunes in the distance. "Do you really think Charlie is around here? These clues don't provide direct evidence, but our gut feeling tells us that something has already happened here."

“Yes,” Lynn replied simply. “He couldn’t possibly have placed his research somewhere completely unnoticed. Every clue here suggests that Charlie’s experiment was likely in this area.”

Mark nodded slightly, his expression grave. Although the desert town seemed like a place untouched by important figures, as more and more clues converged, their intuition told them that Charlie's secret laboratory was likely hidden there. And this place, aside from the hidden routes and decaying buildings in the desert, had nothing that could withstand such highly classified activity. No one would have imagined that danger would quietly simmer in such an inconspicuous location.

Suddenly, Lynn's phone vibrated. The call was from the head of the FBI's overseas office. Lynn answered the phone and listened attentively.

"Lynn, the situation is a bit complicated." The voice came through the phone, paused for a few seconds, and then continued, "The helicopter pickup has encountered obstacles, and we need you to change positions."

"What obstacle?" Lynn frowned.

“You’re not the only group in the desert. We’ve received new intelligence; the enemy seems to have pinpointed your location,” the other party continued. “However, you don’t need to worry too much. We’ve arranged another, more covert route that can bypass the enemy’s tracking.”

Lynn took a deep breath, slightly anxious: "Then what do we do?"

"From your current location, head southeast. We will send a vehicle to meet you about ten kilometers away. The helicopter will be waiting there."

“Understood.” Lynn hung up the phone and turned to Mark, saying, “We need to get out of here quickly; the enemy is approaching.”

Mark immediately stood up, his eyes hardening. "Okay, let's go."

The two quickly packed their necessary equipment, preparing for a brief evacuation. They slipped out of the hotel silently, choosing a relatively secluded path that avoided the town's main streets. Although night falls early in the desert, the faint wind between the dunes quickly masked their footsteps.

“According to the map, the southeast direction should be a relatively open area,” Lynn said in a low voice. “We need to avoid being exposed within our field of vision as much as possible and find that rendezvous point.”

After walking for less than half an hour, darkness gradually fell. The moonlight illuminated the edge of the desert, making the silvery-white dunes appear even more desolate in the night. Lynn and Mark carefully crossed a sand dune, occasionally looking back to check for anything unusual.

“There aren’t any obstacles around here.” Mark relaxed his guard a little. “But we still need to speed up, otherwise we’ll be in trouble once the enemy spots us.”

Lynn nodded and quickened his pace. Although he remained vigilant, he knew that in this situation, they had to act quickly to buy time.

After walking for about an hour, they finally arrived at a relatively open area. There didn't seem to be any special buildings ahead, only a few simple mounds. Lynn looked around, confirmed their location, and quickly whispered, "This is the rendezvous point. We should be able to see the FBI vehicles."

However, when they arrived at the agreed location, the scene before them stunned them both.

A vast desert area, deserted and with only distant sandstorms and desolate scenery.

“This…this isn’t right.” Mark looked around, his expression turning serious. “We were led here, how could there be no one here?” (End of Chapter)